Lee inducts new class of honorees

Published 6:23 pm, Monday, September 24, 2012

Two graduates, two coaches, a teacher and an administrator with Lee High School connections will be inducted to the Lee Legacy Wall of Honor during this week's homecoming activities.

The induction of George Cooper, Maridell Fryar, Kyle Peeler, Connie Staton, Paul Stueckler and Sam Volpe increases the number of Legacy Wall members to 20.

The tradition began in 2010 during the school's 50th anniversary celebration with 10 inductees and four were chosen in 2011.

All six inductees plan to attend this week's homecoming festivities and will be honored during a Legacy ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Lee High School Library.

George Cooper

George Cooper spent 30 years working in Midland ISD and more than half were as a Lee Rebel.

He served as Lee Freshman High School principal from 1986-92 and principal at Lee Senior High School from 1992 until his retirement in 2004.

"I think Lee's slogan, 'A Tradition of Excellence,' is true and what continues to make it a great school," said Cooper, who still lives in Midland. "They excel in academics, athletics, and the fine arts programs are exceptional."

While principal at Lee, Cooper was named the Texas Classroom Teacher Association Administrator of the Year in the secondary school category.

As principal, Cooper said he worked hard to ensure there was curriculum alignment between the Alamo, Abell, Lee Freshman and Lee Senior High School.

"You want to make sure that all the schools in the feeder system talk the same language and have similar goals," Cooper said. "I had excellent junior high and freshmen principals who worked collaboratively to create an atmosphere where students were hearing the same things at all campuses."

"During that time, there were tremendous advancements in technology and we began offering classes like architectural design, giving students more opportunities for new classes," Cooper said.

Maridell Fryar

Just two years after Lee opened its doors, a young Maridell Fryar was asked to develop the school's debate program in 1963.

"I was delighted to do it, as it was what I majored in, in college and my first love," said Fryar, who oversaw the program until she became MISD's executive director of instruction in 1979.

"During that time, Lee became a powerhouse across the state in debate and qualified students for the National Forensic League tournament," said Fryar, who also taught speech and English at Lee. "I was very, very proud of my program and the students what were a part of it. They've become leaders in a variety of different professions, though many of them have become lawyers."

Not only did Fryar help establish traditions for the debate program but also for the school during its first years.

"Midland High had these proud traditions and here we were plucked out in the west side of town able to make all of our own traditions and watch that school grow, creating a true legacy of its own," Fryar said, noting creation of the school's song and RebeLee court were big decisions made during the inaugural years.

Outside the classroom, Fryar co-authored six books on communication, of which three became state-adopted textbooks and currently serves as state President for the Texas Retired Teachers Association.

"My greatest pride is that now, nearly 50 years later, I still have contact on a regular basis with many of my former students. It pleases me that they feel a sense of gratitude to Lee High School for what they were able to do there," Fryar said. "I'm very honored, humbled and pleased to be part of what I consider an elite group of individuals that helped mold Lee High School."

Kyle Peeler

The expectation of excellence and not being satisfied with being average are lessons class of 1970 graduate Kyle Peeler learned in high school and have carried with him throughout adult life.

"I think Lee High School stood for excellence in the 1960s and 1970s. It certainly was an environment where excellence was expected," said Peeler, who was involved in football, choir, LHS Student Council president, voted Mr. Integrity, an Eagle Scout and charter member of Origin.

"My choir directors, Ruth Ann Griffin and Henry "Hank" Sellers, probably taught me more about not being satisfied with the ordinary and trying to perfect your talents to the highest degree than even the football coaches did," said Peeler, who was a charter member of Lee's performing choral ensemble, Origin.

"There was a group of us that wanted to do something at performances that was out of the ordinary and more of a folk, modern music style, so we got together and started putting together some arrangements," Peeler said. "It was a little different than the normal Bach and all of a sudden we were being invited to sing at shopping center openings, Christmas presentations and retirement centers. There was even talk of a professional contract."

But Peeler didn't use his love for singing as a career path but rather his love for government work. He attended Baylor Law School and practiced civil, criminal and family law for more than 30 years. He currently serves as a Midland County court at-law judge.

He's served as a deacon at First Presbyterian Church and president of the Buffalo Trail Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

The 1970 graduate said his induction to the Wall of Honor came as a complete shock.

"I knew nothing about the activities to nominate me and it came as a total surprise when I got a letter in the mail from (LHS Principal) Stephanie Howard," Peeler said. "My hat's off to everybody that had part in it. I'm humbled and appreciate it."

Connie Staton

Knowing her parents couldn't afford to send her to college, 1966 graduate Connie Staton took full advantage of the business courses offered at Lee.

"I knew I needed to get a job that I could be the best at, which I assumed was in the secretarial field, so I wanted to be prepared. I took a lot of math courses just to try and get as many skills as I could to be a productive citizen," said Staton, who was a member of the Business Education Club and a member of the Future Secretaries of America and Rebelettes.

After holding a variety of jobs in her 20s and moving with her husband for work, Staton had the opportunity to pursue an accounting degree at age 33. Because Lee provided her with a strong mathematics background, she tested out of beginning college math courses.

"All the business courses I took from 1963 to 1966 played an extremely important role in my life and when I finally got to go to college at age 33," Staton said. "I'm not a CPA, I have just learned because I've studied. I've taken every course possible and studied to further my knowledge."

Staton returned to Midland in 1988, working with elderly clients and nonprofits as an accountant for Sproles Woddard, before opening her own practice in 1996.

In 2010, Staton was awarded the Tax Professional of the Year Award in 2010 by the National Association of Tax Professionals and has been a featured speaker for the Internal Revenue Service.

"When I graduated at 18 and knew I couldn't go to college, I never thought I would be a PE teacher, coach or have my own accounting practice," Staton said. "I continued to work and be the best at whatever I was doing at the time and learned from there."

Paul Stueckler

When Paul Stueckler and his Texas Western College teammates came to Midland in the early 1950s for a football game, he remembers looking around the town, thinking "this is a nice town. I'd like to live here someday."

The opportunity came a few years later when the 28-year-old was offered the head coaching position at Midland's new high school.

"We started out the first year without a gym, having to pack all the gear up to go to the junior highs to practice every day and we were in a tough league with hardly any players, where we hardly won any games," Stueckler said. "When I retired, we'd grown the program immensely, I had my 700th win and there was a tradition there."

An original Lee High faculty member, Stueckler served as athletic chairman and taught general science, biology and physical education from 1961 until his retirement in 1991. He coached the boys' basketball team to 700 wins and finished as Texas' fourth winning coach at the time of his retirement.

"When you start something from scratch like that, it's always your school," Stueckler said. "You start from the ground up and watch it prosper. Coaching and teaching in Midland was a really, really wonderful experience."

Stueckler currently lives in Fairview, a small town outside of McKinney and said he's looking forward to returning to Midland this weekend. His friends, family and former players will join him at the ceremony.

Sam Volpe

Sam Volpe's track record as an educator has always been more important to him than the one as a track coach.

"I'm a firm believer in the academics in education as well as the athletics, and I hope I can be remembered as more so a teacher than as a coach," said Volpe, who was an original member of the Lee High School staff.

He coached track and taught math at Lee from 1961 until his retirement in 1991.

"Lee was a special school because it had a faculty that worked together to ensure we had good, sound programs," said Volpe, who taught 32 years in Midland.

"I was able to work with some very talented athletes and I enjoyed getting to know them, work with them and go to competitions with them, Volpe said.

As a graduate student at Texas Tech, Volpe published "A Study of Attitudes Related to Teaching of Algebra in a Midland."

"I've tried to instill the thought of having each student think for themselves," Volpe said. "Whenever a situation arises, give it thought and don't just jump into an answer. They should reason it out before making a decision."

Being named to the Wall of Honor was a huge surprise to Volpe, who lives in San Marcos and hasn't been back to Midland for 14 years.

"I still cherish working with kids and hopefully I did have an impact on my students' future," Volpe said.